During the late war I had an infallible rule for deciding what Great Britain would do on every occasion. It was, to consider what they ought to do, and to take the reverse of that as what they would assuredly do, and I can say with truth that I was never deceived.

There is no act, however virtuous, for which ingenuity may not find some bad motive.

Where everyman is participator in the government of affairs, not merely at an election one day in the year but everyday, he will let the heart be torn out of his body sooner than his power be wrested from him by a Caesar or a Bonaparte.

The difficulty is no longer to find candidates for the offices, but offices for the candidates.

Although our prospect is peace, our policy and purpose are to provide for defense by all those means to which our resources are competent.

The most uninformed mind with a healthy body is happier than the wisest valetudinarian.

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.